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• Health-related information gathering practices among outpatients

  124-138

  Regina Molnár

  Zoltán Sági

  Zsuzsanna Fejes

  Kálmán Törőcsik

  Béla Köves

  Edit Paulik

  Views:

  59

  Introduction: Obtaining health information is an important part of health behaviour. However, there is limited data available about information gathering habits of patients. Aims: To identify different patient groups according to their information gathering habits.
  Methods: Questionnaire survey among potential patients in an outpatient clinic in Budapest. The survey consisted of the following domains: sociodemographic data; habits of visit a doctor; communications method with a specialist; use of technical devices.
  Results: The survey was completed by 260 patients (36,2% men; 63,8% women). Patients primarily get medical information from their doctors, followed by the internet, where different websites and Facebook groups are the most common sources of information. Mostly they use the internet for checking their symptoms and complaints, however searching for data about their physicians and healthcare institutions are uncommon. Patients who are young, active workers, highly educated are more active, while elderly patients and widows search less information on the internet. Conclusions: There are socio-demographic groups who are underinformed by digital healthcare related issues. Audited websites and social media releases could play an important role in
  the information gathering process of patients, and also supplement patient-doctor relationship.

• Themes of medical profession and professional socialization in medical sociology textbooks

  79-97

  Éva Susánszky

  Zsuzsa Szántó

  Views:

  65

  Introduction: The present study examines the information on the medical profession and how the changes occurring in the medical practice, the social role and the evaluation of the physician are reflected in the English and Hungarian language medical sociology textbooks used in Hungary. Method: We analyzed chapters of Hungarian language medical sociology textbooks of the
  last 25 years that discuss medical profession and student choices, and textbooks used in English language courses of Semmelweis University. Results: The corpus of the Hungarian textbooks (history of medical profession, medical role models, models of doctor-patient relationships, medical socialization) stayed relatively unchanged. While preserving the myth of the medical profession, there are criticisms towards the role and relationship models. The theme of the medical education gradually disappears from the
  English language textbooks. The social positions of the medical profession and health care are discussed in a broader context, focusing on the health care system and health care provision, incorporating the allied professions, and taking aspects of patients/consumers into greater consideration. Summary: Both textbook types reflect on the changes in the social position of the medical profession. However, the English literature approaches the modernization processes from the angles of the health care system and health care provision, resulting in the diminishing importance of the topic of medical profession while the Hungarian literature focuses on the profession and professional education of physicians.